SAN JOSE STICKUP / Tough defense snuffs Predators

Sticking with the plan was the difference for the Sharks on Wednesday night.

San Jose didn't get rattled after falling behind early, rallied to score twice in the second period and snuffed out Nashville at every turn thereafter to record a 3-1 victory in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead in a best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal.

On a night the Sharks were 0-for-6 on the power play and outshot the visitors 41-20, the hosts delighted a full house at HP Pavilion with stifling defense, hard hitting and solid playoff hockey to the end.

"The important thing was for us to maintain puck possession, keep our feet moving and try to draw penalties, and I thought we did a good job of that," Sharks coach Ron Wilson said. "Once we got on the board, I thought everything settled in."

Goalie Evgeni Nabokov turned in a poised effort by stopping 19 of 20 shots while Milan Michalek and Ryane Clowe supplied San Jose's two second-period goals before Patrick Marleau scored late in the third to give the Sharks their 10th home playoff victory in their last 12 tries.

The Sharks will look to take a 3-1 lead in Wednesday night's Game 4.

Sharks goalie- Evgenii Nabokov goes one on one with Nashville's 19- JAson Arnott, Nabokov stopped the shot.NHL playoffs between the San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators, Game 3 of a best of 7 game series. Photographed in, San Jose, Ca, on 4/16/07. Photo by: Michael Macor/ The Chronicle less

Sharks goalie- Evgenii Nabokov goes one on one with Nashville's 19- JAson Arnott, Nabokov stopped the shot.NHL playoffs between the San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators, Game 3 of a best of 7 game ... more

Photo: Michael Macor

Photo: Michael Macor

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Sharks goalie- Evgenii Nabokov goes one on one with Nashville's 19- JAson Arnott, Nabokov stopped the shot.NHL playoffs between the San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators, Game 3 of a best of 7 game series. Photographed in, San Jose, Ca, on 4/16/07. Photo by: Michael Macor/ The Chronicle less

Sharks goalie- Evgenii Nabokov goes one on one with Nashville's 19- JAson Arnott, Nabokov stopped the shot.NHL playoffs between the San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators, Game 3 of a best of 7 game ... more

Photo: Michael Macor

SAN JOSE STICKUP / Tough defense snuffs Predators

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Marleau gave the Sharks breathing room at 15:34 of the final period by deflecting a Bill Guerin drive out of mid-air past Nashville goalie Tomas Vokoun after the pair combined to force Paul Kariya and Peter Forsberg to cough up the puck deep in the Predators' end.

The Sharks turned things around in the middle period by scoring two goals to turn a 1-0 deficit after one period into a one goal lead after 40 minutes despite failing to convert six straight power plays awarded in the opening two periods.

One turning point was Mike Grier's hard, clean hit along the boards in front of the Sharks' penalty box on Martin Erat. The Nashville forward, nursing an injury coming into the series, appeared to hurt his left leg and was done for the night at 7:37.

Nashville's shortened bench hampered any comeback attempt.

"Certainly when you have less guys on your bench, the rest have to play more," Sharks defenseman Kyle McLaren said. "If you have to shorten your bench, it's going to take its toll eventually and it probably did tonight on them."

"At this time of the year, there's going to be lots of hits, they've had their fair share and we had a few tonight," Grier added. "There's still a lot of hockey left and still a lot of dangerous guys over there."

The tying goal came at 8:38 when Joe Thornton won an offensive-zone draw from Nashville's David Legwand. From the right point, Sharks defenseman Craig Rivet waited and wristed a low drive on which Michalek managed to outmaneuver Predators defenseman Shea Weber to redirect past Vokoun, who stopped the Sharks' first 20 shots.

Shortly after San Jose's fourth power-play misfire, the Sharks struck for the go-ahead goal as a result of Kariya's bad gamble. The Nashville winger exited the penalty box after his slashing minor expired at 12:08 and circled at center hoping for a pass to send him on a breakaway, but the Sharks retained possession and were basically able to continue to attack a Predators team in position with just four defenders.

Clowe settled Matt Carle's cross-ice feed and, from the right circle, put a low shot just inside the near post.

"That was a fantastic play," Wilson said of Carle's pinpoint pass. "He tries that play all the time and he gets it down about 15 percent of the time. We try to get him to look at other things, but on that particular instance it worked."

The Sharks had a golden chance to extend the lead when they were awarded their third 5-on-3 power play in three games, but failed to get a shot. Despite the misfire, Wilson found a positive.

"Even when you're not scoring, you keep their skill guys off the ice and it's a little less anxiety for me knowing Kariya and Forsberg and some of those guys aren't on the ice," Wilson said.

Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter nailed his first playoff goal at 11:53 of the first period, but surrendering the early goal and quieting the loud house didn't faze the hosts.

"We came in after the first and said, 'You know what? Keep going. It'll go in,' " Clowe said.